Baybayin belongs to all of us. A living practice tool — designed for daily use, for learning, and for keeping the tradition alive.
sa ISIP, sa SALITA at sa SULAT.
The Maker
David Oro is a Manila-born, Winnipeg-based creative director — 25+ years across illustration, concept art, storyboarding, stage design, type design, and interactive design. Clients include Disney, Sony, CBC, Games Workshop. Co-founder of UNIT Productions with Hazel Venzon. Founder of studioSARISARI and SARISARIworld.
The Practice
David has practiced Baybayin daily for over ten years — an act of reclamation, deepened into serious typographic and scholarly practice. The custom font DavidOroBaybayin_01 grew from that daily practice. Isang maliit na ambag sa kultura.
[pssst] Type a word here, and its Baybayin appears for you to trace.
Practice
[hoy] With a word loaded, pinch with two fingers to zoom and drag with two fingers to move around. The 1× button in the corner steps through 1×, 2× and 3×.
[pssst] Tap a letter in the row to load it as your Script Guide, then trace it. The buttons on the left (A, I/E, U/O, KUDLIT) change which form of every letter you practice.
ᜊ
[hoy] The soft gray shape on the canvas is your Script Guide. Write over it. Too faint or too strong? Change Script Opacity in Settings.
Your canvas
[pssst] Want to try again? Tap this to take back your last stroke, as many times as you need.
On a keyboard, press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac).
[pssst] Tap the gear, then Save Image, to keep what you wrote. In Daily Sulat mode, Save Image and Share are in the bar under the canvas.
[pssst] Want a clean page? Press and hold Undo for a moment. All your ink clears, and your Script Guide stays.
✕
[hoy] Want a fresh start? Tap the ✕ beside the text box to clear the word, the Script Guide, and your ink all at once.
Find your way
[pssst] Not sure what to write? Open Dictionary, browse words or phrases, and tap one to load it as your Script Guide.
[hoy] Tap Sampol for an example word to trace. Tap it again for the next one.
[pssst] Turn on Translate, then type an English or Tagalog word. If it is in the word list, the Tagalog and its meaning show under the canvas, and the Baybayin becomes your Script Guide. Turn it off to spell by sound.
[hoy] Gayahan is the character reference: every letter, the vowel marks, and pamudpod. Tap a character to see it large.
[pssst] Tap the brush button (it says Pen at first) to choose from six brushes and set the size.
[hoy] The gear holds Script Opacity, Save Image, Font Style (Oro or Noto), and today's Daily Salita.
[pssst] Tap the eye to hide everything except your canvas. Tap it again to bring it all back.
[hoy] Tap the sun or moon to switch between light and dark.
Understand the script
[hoy] A tiny mark changes the vowel. A dash above gives i or e. An arc below gives u or o.
ᜃ
ka
no mark
ᜃᜒ
ki / ke
dash above
ᜃᜓ
ku / ko
arc below
[hoy] These kudlit are drawn to echo the vowel letters. The i/e kudlit is a dash, like the letter i/e. The u/o kudlit is an arc, like the letter u/o. That's what keeps a syllable readable when it's written vertically.
ᜁ
i / e
the letter
ᜃᜒ
ki / ke
dash above
ᜂ
u / o
the letter
ᜃᜓ
ku / ko
arc below
→
Tap the → button at the top to turn your Script Guide vertical (↓). Tap again to go back.
[pssst] A pamudpod cancels the vowel, leaving just the consonant. Try it with the KUDLIT button in the top row.
ᜃ
ka
no mark
ᜃ᜔
k
pamudpod
About
[pssst] Tap the logo to read about the app and its maker, and to send feedback.
[hoy] The app is still growing. Tap BETA to see what has changed lately.
[hoy] Tap the ? any time to see every tip again. Need a refresher? Tap “Show the first-time tips again” at the bottom of this panel.
[pssst] Save your practice before it's gone →
[pssst] That mark is pamudpod — it cancels the vowel. Tap to try it.
[pssst] Want to try again? Tap here to undo.
[pssst]Pinch with two fingers to zoom in on your guide, or tap 1× to step closer.
[hoy] Tap a letter above to practice it.
[pssst] Tap this arrow to write vertically. Tap again to go back.
[pssst]
[hoy] All these tips live here. Need a refresher? Tap “Show the first-time tips again.”
[pssst] Type a word here, and its Baybayin appears for you to trace.
[pssst] Want a fresh start? Tap ✕ to clear everything.
[pssst] Tip: hold Undo to clear everything and start fresh.